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Lost.
Hello. This will be a joint story. Skye is writing for: Leah Scott. AK47908 is writing for: Tyrone. Dannoh403 is writing for: Daniel. Nikki is writing for: Kayla. I will proceed with the first chapter. Then, whoever out of those Three, is welcome to write next. Please message me on chat if you have any questions about the plot line writers. Until then. ENJOY! Nikki.jpg|Kayla Nae Ak, Daneil.jpg|Tyrone Sevs Daneil.jpg|Daniel Leah..jpg|Leah Scott Leah's POV I hear the sharp snap of the twig and Kayla’s sigh. “When are we gunner be done here?” She groans. I roll my eyes, and let Daniel deal with it. “Until you get the information and photos for your article.” He says patiently. She sighs, and lifts her leg abnormally high to avoid the gray stick poking at her legs. “Ugh! Why did I decide to wear shorts?” She says throwing the stick poking at her, into the far away bush. “Because you didn’t think it through. That’s what happens when you care more about appearance than comfort.” Daniel snickers. “Oh my gosh! Danny why do you have to comment on EVERYTHING.” I lift up a palm of the tree in front of me, to get through the path. “He’s always been like that. Just ignore it.” I mumble. I watch the back of Tyrone move swiftly. He has a machete that he whips the thick overgrown plants with. I take a snapshot of an orange and yellow flower in the shape of a cone. “Ugh. I’m so sick of the heat!” Kayla says. “Will you shut up!” Daniel says in frustration. “It's just up here.” Tyrone says with perfect patience. We walk a few more meters. Well, more like climb over the toughest terrain. I brush my blond hair from my face. The sweat making it stick. Tyrone turns to me, and holds out his hand. I’m confused for a moment, but I see a huge boulder in front of him, and I take his hand. He helps me up and we head to the “Café”. Turns out, it’s mainly just a run down building. “What? What is this!” Kayla says with her hands to her head as she sees the building. “They said it was a café!” She yells. Tyrone keeps his smooth face. “Ha. Turns out, this island, is ACTUALLY deserted… Cool.” Daniel says wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead. “No, not cool! What are we going to do now?” She complains. I take photos of the place, at every possible angle. Kayla has a good heart. She really does. But, often when she gets hot…And tired. She can be the least of a happy camper. Kayla is my writer. She writes the travel article with the photos I take. We are both employees of the magazine. “Fly away”. A travel magazine based in central New York. Daniel, Our body guard/manager is here with us on the remote island of Huga. Somewhere in the south pacific. He is not only a good friend of both Kayla and I, But also my brother. While being extremely protective of me, he is also the “annoying brother” type. You know the ones. The kind that will poke your arm until you scream at him to stop. Yeah, that kind. Ahead of me is Tyrone. Unlike the others he is not part of our team. He was hired by Daniel to show us around the place. And being an ex-sniper, he knows what he’s doing. Apparently he knows the place quiet well. Although he neglected to tell us that the café we are meant to be doing the article on is in fact abandoned. “Any ideas.” I say after getting my snap shots. “Yeah, let's get the hell out of here.” Kayla says, obviously. “No. Not yet. The helicopter is scheduled to pick us up tonight. We cannot rush them. I will set up a small camp for us, we will wait for the helicopter there.” Tyrone states. Without another word, he goes to the near by palm tree, and snaps off the branch. “Well. I’m going to get more photos.” I say. The place is actually stunning. Once you get past the fact that there is no human civilization, or water. And the overwhelming heat. And hot wind. It’s a walk in the park! “No, you cannot go alone.” Tyrone barely speaks. He's... weird. Not in a bad way, but I guess he just not the kind of person I’m used to. I wonder why he left the army. I mean, he can't be much older than me. 25 maybe? He’s obviously a very good sniper, he flings that machete around like he’s done it a million times. And he’s extremely talented with his instincts. Always knowing the right way to turn, and where I will fall or slip. He’s smart, and I see why he would do well in the army. Which is why it strikes me as odd that’s he’s showing tourists around an island that’s deserted. “What why not? I won't go far.” I say dropping my camera and letting the heavy weight hang from my neck. “Because you don’t know what’s out there. I'll go with you.” Daniel says. “No. You have no experience in this terrain. I will go with her. You stay here and collect these branches. I’ll come back soon.” Tyrone says plainly. Daniel hates to be put in his place so effortlessly. Even as kids, him being a year older than me, he would never let me win an argument. This is going to be in interesting few hours. Tyrone's POV Leah and I walk through the bushy jungle, my machete going through leaves and bushes like butter. Leah starts taking many pictures of nature. Mostly some flowers and the terrain at all different angles and camera settings. "Oh my god! Its so freakin' hot! How do you stand this heat Tyrone?!" She says, wiping sweat off of her fore-head. I let out a slight laugh... but don't answer. She continues to take pictures. "This place is the best, never knew Huga would look this beautiful!" She screams in excitement. She continues on taking more and more pictures. I think she needed to delete some since she has taken so much. "Hey Tyrone is there water nearby?" She asks. I shake my head. "Dang it!" She says kicking a log. I take out my flask I keep in my jacket pocket and hand it to her. "Oh. forgot we brought water..Oops" She says with a pout on her face. She takes the water and drinks it furiously. She seems a little... weird. Shes complaining for one second, the next shes smiling her butt off and wont shut up! She keeps on taking pictures of the trees the birds the animals and the grass. And she starts trying to make a good conversation. She starts asking me what my favorite food is, or what my favorite vacation spot is, and then she asks my age. I don't answer any of them. "Why did you join the army in the first place Tyrone?" THAT, that one little question brings me back. I shut my eyes hard, then I'm 18 again. My fathers funeral. His SEAL team punch the SEAL emblem into his casket. And as a group of soldiers preform the 21 gun salute, there's only one thing on my mind. I'm gonna be a sniper just like him. My eyes open And I notice I'm sweating more than ever before. Then Leah asks. "Well?" I turn my head slightly. "To serve my country," Then I continue on slicing through the bushes and heavy brush. Kayla's POV I was hot. I was itchy. I was tired. I was hungry. And I wanted a luxury hotel. Leah is my best friend, and were a team. But she always tries to pick THE worst vacation spots. We both came from virtually two different worlds. I'm the type of girl who was spoiled rotten by a billionaire daddy, and she's the down to earth hippie girl who isn't a fighter- unless it's about the environment. Were opposites. I'm a realist, where she has an eternally optimistic point of view. While I'm shopping, she goes to the plant nursery to coddle the saplings. I'm a fashionista, and she wears whatever works. But we click together. I wrinkle my nose as I sit down on a rusty chair outside the abandoned cafe, fanning myself with a paper fan. Daniel sits across from me, and surveys the surroundings. Bored, I flip out my notepad. It's hard for me to write positively about this type of environment, so I take a risk. I got into a trance. Closing my eyes, I sit back and relax my muscles. Every part of me stops thinking, and I soak in nature. The sweet sound of chirping birds. The fragrant odor of frangipani. A gentle breeze tickles my face, and I can feel dappled sun rays hitting my legs. I start to tune into some more natural things. The vibrations of the earth, indicating a small animal- a mouse, I presume- and the hum in the air. I can hear the beating of a hummingbird's wings. Soft trickling water in the distance. The thrum of nature.... "Kayla!" Danny snaps me back into focus. "What?" I sit up quickly. "You went into a trance." He informs me. "Oh." I bite my lip. Idiot. I can't do that again. Too risky. They used to be fine. But lately, if I try, I fall into a deep, unwakeable sleep. Where nightmares taunt my mind. Where I fall prey to evil. So I stopped. But I'm a writer, and it's hard not to anymore. Sighing, I write down a short list of observations, and then get up to examine the vegetation. I'm a bit of a botany nerd, so I start listing flowers and different types of trees. Really, the area is gorgeous, but I can't stand the sticky heat and the constant mosquito attacks. A slight change in the wind alerts me to someone. Leah and Tyrone come out of the jungle, each keeping a respectable distance from the other. Something happened in there. Leah had talked to me about how Tyrone was kinda cute and mysterious- her type exactly. But he was cold and indifferent to most of us. "Hey Kayla, you gotta check out this waterfall we saw. We're going to catch a closer look, I just need another SD card." Daniel throws Leah one, and we trudge forward, not knowing exactly where were going. Daniel's POV We trudge through the hot jungle, slapping mosquitoes off our arms. I wipe sweat off my forehead. If Leah wasn't here, there would be no way I would be either. True, sometimes I would get a bit over protective of my younger sister, but to me it seems reasonable. People tell me I'm a bit worse case scenario, and I am. Before we came, I sat up at night thinking about cannibals, getting lost, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, etc. At one time a type of "Jurassic Park" fantasy occurred to me. But I'm just being cautious. I keep an eye on people that might hurt Leah. Like Tyrone. I don't trust him at all. He's too mysterious, and I feel like he'd ditch us in one second if worst came to worst. And Kayla. Shes always complaining about... everything. Leah says shes okay when shes in a good mood. I've honestly never seen her in a good mood, so I can never be sure. And when she's in a really bad mood? Oh just run while you can. If I had her attitude, I couldn't stand myself. Always whining about the hot or the cold. Blah Blah Blah. "Just through here." Tyrone says, nodding to some dense foliage. We step through, and all take in our breaths at the sight. Leah's POV The sight deflates the air from my lungs. Beautiful clear water rushes from the pristine rocks at the top of the mountain. It flows down into the blue and green pool. It's flooded with colors. You can see through to the bottom. It has beautiful coral growing, and some kind of fish swimming. The entire pool is shaded by the phantom of greens enveloping the area. "It's. Wow." Kayla says awe struck. "Yeah." I say. Ahead of me, Tyrone dismiss the beautiful majestic view, and settles himself in a rock, sharpening his knife. I don't even pay attention to him, I just look at the view. "Ahh. Finally. Daniel is comment less." Kayla says slinking down the path to the water. "Not quite" He mutters following her. I stand there, and take photos. I find solace In being behind the camera. It's like my own world. You can't see anything but the image in front of you. Your stuck in the world that is completely your own. You only have to focus and adjust the lens to capture the true beauty of something. And right now, my focus, is on the waterfall. I tour the place, Tyrone keeping a close eye on me, I guess to make sure I don't get lost. While Kayla and Daniel splash around in the water. I'm a bit of a water babe. But nothing can rip me from my camera. Not yet. I have to finish. Once my memory card overflows, I finally decide its enough. And take a seat next to Tyrone. "You're not coming in?" He shakes his head. "Why not? It will cool you down." I say looking at his chest, which has a v of sweat on it. Showing of his impeccably good muscles. I guess I get a but stuck by them, because before I know it, he has an odd look on his face while trying to dissect my own expression. I snap out of it, and force my eyes back to his. But he immediately dashes them away. I noticed that, he can't seem to be very good at eye contact. At all. "Well, have it your way." I say cheerily. I hand him my camera, and he puts in in the bag he brought with him. Marine print...of course. "Thanks." I say. In front of me, Kayla and Daniel are splashing Each other in the face, while laughing. I take my top of, and then my pants. Leaving my blue unwired bra, and my black boy-leg underwear. I glance behind me, and I see Tyrone, still sharpening that damn knife. "You are not phased by anything are you?" He looks at me, and for the first time. I see him smile. He just looks somewhat amused. "There you go. Your smile is so much better then your frown." He realizes he is smiling, and turns it back to his lined mouth, and goes back to sharpening the knife...Well it was something at least. I jump into the water, were Kayla is now in top of Daniel trying to dunk him. They both have massive grins. I get on top of Daniel with Kayla, and we both successfully pull him under the water. We fist bump each other and swim away together. "What were you talking to Tyrone about?" She asks. I glance back at him, and he is now carving something into a leaf. "Nothing....at all. He's just. So silent. It's...weird." I say cringing my nose. She giggles. "What?" I say. "Just the fact you haven't stopped looking at him since I asked you." She says. I look at her and feel my cheeks burn. "Well, we were talking about him, so logically, I look at him. Duh." I say obviously. She just has an amused smile on her face. She swims closer to me, and wraps her arms around my neck. "Ahh, Leah. What are we gunna do with ya?" She laughs, she's obviously in a good mood now. Which I like. "Love me." I say. She laughs, and tries to dunk me. I get away from her, and swim over to the rush of water. Letting it drop over my head. After a while Daniel comes next to me. "Ugh. This water is so nice." He says with his head back, taking in the water, I can clearly see his Adams apple sticking out. "Yeah, really is." I say. "Now I know what your talking about! Kayla is really cool! Wish she was like that all the time." He says with enthusiasm. "Told you Danny!" I say pushing his arm somewhat. He tumbles into the water, I laugh a bit, and he comes out of the water, with his hair sitting like a bowl on his head. "Oh. It's on." He smiles. When we all settle on the rock, its beginning to get dark. Tyrone has collected some sort of berries, and fruit. I’ve never seen, or heard of them, but he promises that there safe. And, when I take a bite into the selection. I’m convinced. The beautiful juice squirts in my mouth. And, I find my self chugging them down. Quick. Tyrone has also started a small fire. Since the temperature is dropping fast. Some sort of hooting animals come out, and the mosquitoes come quick, but, the fire detours them. There are some sort of glowing insects flying around our heads. I hear the buzz, of a number of insects. It is absolutely, stunningly pleasant. After about fifty million photos, I put it down, and only take the occasional photo. Kayla writes furiously on her notepad. Me throwing a berry at her every now and then, to be sure she doesn’t get lost in one of her “Trances”. Daniel sits with my head in his lap, while he plays with my hair. When our mother died, he defiantly took over the father role. And, its just nice to share my life with him. My job, my family, my friends. I get to have it all with him. Its comforting, to have him with me. Always. Tyrone sits across from me, about 4 meters with his pocket knife getting mud off his boots. "You know, with a few little shops, maybe a few houses. A motel. This place could be a big hit." I say casually. "I don’t know I mean its pretty stinking hot in the day." Kayla says lifting her head from her notepad. "Yeah, but, imagine coming here, instead of in summer. Maybe the end of autumn? Or, maybe even winter? I mean, it would be just stunning. Don’t you think?" I say to no one in particular. “Yeah, I guess so. The problem is. It’s so far away from everything. I mean it’s a two and a half hour helicopter ride! And, its so hard to find. And, the nearest island is barely inhabited. I mean, it took us 3 days and about 2 million plane trips just to get to the island with the helicopter that took us here!” Kayla says with great difficultly. “Yeah. I suppose so. I just see so much potential in this place.-“ Daniel say, ready to continue until (to my surprise) Tyrone voices his opinion. “This place doesn’t need anything. If humans are to lazy to get out here, just so they can come and destroy it. Then let them stay away. Humans just ruin places like this. There’s not point to bring them here if there just going to demolish the beauty in it. Let them stay in there bloody skyscrapers.” Everyone has there jaws on the floor. He barely says a word, then he comes out with a line like that! “Well, were not all bad. I mean, all we want to do is get people to enjoy this place. Its not fair to have it out here, and no one get to experience.” Daniel ? reply. “Your so naïve Daniel. Anything people touch they destroy, you think there going to be different to this place?” He says with a passion I didn’t know he had with-in him. “What is your problem?” Daniel say sitting up, Kayla grows wide eyed along with me . “I mean seriously. How can you hate people so much? And then show them around “Your” island.” He says “Your” with bunny ears. “Its not my island. I don’t live here.” He says. “Well you certainly seem like you own it.” Daniel says growing taller. “You don’t live here? How do you know the place so well?” I ask. “Instinct.” He says plainly. There is a moment of silence, where Daniel ? are both staring into each others eyes strongly. “Well, as much as this place is a bundle of joy. I for one can’t wait to get home.” Kayla says ending the challenge between Tyrone and Daniel. “Speaking of home. Aren’t we supposed to get on the helicopter…like now?” I say looking at Tyrone. He checks his wrist which hold his watch. He looks at it curiously. “Yes.” He says. He pulls out the radio from the back from his belt. And walks over to the tree for some privacy. I get up, and put my cloths back on. As does Kayla, and Daniel. “AK47908 Reporting from fox trot. Devon you there? Over.” He says into the radio. He waits a moment for a crackled reply. “Yes AK47908 Its Devon here. Were having a bit of trouble with the helie. You will have to stay till Morning. Over.” Tyrone looks over to us with an unimpressed face. “Ya. Alright. No problem Mike. I’ll see you tomorrow. Tyrone over and out.” He pushes down the antenna and walks back to the fire looking defeated. “There having trouble with the ride. So, we have to stay till morning.” He says plainly. We all sigh, and of course, Kayla freaks out. I sit back down, putting Daniels arm around my shoulder and laying in his chest. “What? I’m meant to be getting a pedicure tomorrow! I cant miss that! And we have nothing to keep us the night!” She says kicking stones into the water witch is now a deep black. “Relax. I’m sure the great Tyrone has a plan. Right?” Daniel says with a clear twitch of condensing tone. Tyrone shoots him a evil look, and reply’s. “We stay here. I’ll get some wood, and build the fire. You will be warm enough.” He says poking at the fire. “And food?” She says with her arms folded and her hips hanging to the side. “Well, the berries should be enough.” She scoffs, and he adds. “Or I could kill a rat or something.” He says plainly. She has a look of panic on her face. “No. The berries are fine.” She says quickly. I snort In laughter, and Tyrone smirks. “I think he just got a little bit better.” Daniel whispers in my ear. ? Tyrone's POV Leah wont stop being...NICE to me. Ever since my father died i pushed everybody and everything out of my life..with the exception of the marines of course. Her kind gestures are kind but...Concerning. I'm the last to person awake. Daniel snores louder than the Marine Corps combined...and that's saying something. Kayla falls off her log...but continues to sleep as a spider walks on her. I chuckle and decide to walk around. I walk back with a mouse in my hand....i skin it, cook it, than eat it. I cant eat berries for a whole day...its like being a vegetarian. The thought of being a vegetarian gives me a little chill. I eventually fall asleep by 3:00 AM. That's when the dreams start. I lie down on a high hill over-looking the compound. I adjust my ghillie suit, and put one 10 round magazine into my MK-11. I adjust the scope to 300 feet, and watch the back door. The constant chatter from the Marines inside the compound gives me a headache. Just then my C/O walks out a 1 way door from the compound, 3 other Marines are following him guns trained on Al-Pilse: Our target. I aim down the scope ready to kill anyone that follows them out. But small arms fire from inside the compound kills the 3 Marines instantly and the door closes. Al-Pilse spins around grabbing the M4A1 and wrestles my C/O for it. "Tyrone shoot him!" My C/O yells. I don't hesitate as i breath out and slightly tug on the trigger. The bullet leaves the barrel and hits Al-Pilse killing him, but it goes through him and hits my C/O as well killing him also. I soon realize what I have done. .............. "Your finger prints were on the bullet that killed the C/O and Al-Pilse! Non of the 3 Marines had helmet cams! You killed him!" My new C/O says point fingers at me. Two MP guys come in and grab my arms "Take this Marine out of my sight." He says, and just like that I'm gone. They drag me to a jail cell at our FOB. I go to court back at the states and I'm officially court marshaled. I spend 2 years in jail. I wake up back in reality and i start moving around and hyperventilating. Daniel's POV I wake up in the middle of the night to Tyrone scrambling around, breathing heavily. I slowly pick myself and look at him. "What the heck are you doing?" I whisper, "You're gonna wake everyone up." "Nightmare." That's it. All he says. Must he be so mysterious? "You. Had a nightmare? The big scary silent marine had, a nightmare." I say incredulously. "Ex-marine." He spits in the silence. "You never explained, how you became an "Ex-marine" I mutter, imitating him. "C'mon, we should leave before we talk." He says, standing and silently leaping away. I stand and step after him, careful not to break any sticks. Tyrone stops by the waterfall. He looks at the flow sadly, as if he has some sort of bad memory with waterfalls. "Start explaining. And please, use more than two words this time." I say, still whispering. He turns toward me, his face hard with fake calm. "I was thrown out of the marines, because I killed my commander." he mutters, fiddling with his dog tags. "On accident," he adds quickly. "What?!" I say, agitated. He tells me the story about the 3 Marines, and his C/Os fight about for the gun. He tells me how he pulled the trigger and how they both died instantly. He told me how he was blamed for his C/Os death, Court Marshelled, and thrown in jail for 2 years. "They never understood what happened?" I ask. "They didn't try to. My DNA was on that bullet because i was the one that put it in the gun. I'm the only one that was there! To the Corps I'm a murder, either that or bad sniper." He says with a hint of anger in his voice. "Tyrone I-" I begin. "Don't trouble yourself. I've made my peace with it. Come on, go back to sleep, we need our rest." He's made his peace with it. I choose to go along with it, even though I could hear the lie in his voice. Kayla's POV I didn't sleep that night. The small supper of wild berries sits like a rock in my stomach, and I clench my teeth as I lay on a thin sleeping bag. As uncomfortable as the situation is, I can't help but marvel at the beauty of the sky. The clearing we camped at was right under the stars, and the rustling trees gave in to the deep blue sky. Twinkling stars lit the night sky, something you see little of in New York City. I wasn't thrilled when I found out that there wasn't a Four Seasons on this island, but ever since the waterfall, I had been noticing tiny things. Being a writer, you notice details. Things others overlook. The tiny creases on a page, the wadded up gum wrapper on a bus, or maybe a drop of dew of a leaf. Things like that. Sleepless, I turned myself over onto my stomach, and traced the dirt with my finger. Flowers, swirls, anything. Then I realize I'm playing in the dirt. At first, I recoil, but then I plop back down and continue making patterns. Maybe I can deal with a little grime. It's calming, the hypnotic swirls I make with my fingers.... A sharp intake of breath startles me. Tyrone sits up straight, the full moon reflecting off of his paled face. Daniel stirs, and he confronts Tyrone. I pretend to be asleep, but watch out of the corner of my eye. The two whisper softly, but I can catch a phrase here or there. "...killed my commander." I hear Tyrone whisper, causing me to almost gasp. But I barely hold it in. Even with my eyes half closed, I can tell Danny sits erect and stiff. "What?!" Daniel breaks their cover, and Tyrone glares at him. "...terrorist...mistake...thrown out." Tyrone's voice is somber and cold, as if remembering that moment. A wave of sadness washes over me. Tyrone, a guy so devoted to his country, thrown out? The two whisper for a few seconds, but then retire to their sleeping bags. I sigh, wanting to sleep, but feeling as wired as if I had swallowed caffeine pills. A soft chirping echoed through the jungle, and I checked my watch. The electric watch's bright display shows two AM. "Well, I always have been an early riser." I mutter inaudibly. I bring myself up, and start tiptoeing out of the camp. After I get about 20 yards away, I realize my feet are bare, and that I'm just wearing a tank top and shorts. A cold wind chills me, but I'm not in the mood to go back. Instead, I follow the path Tyrone had cut to the clearing. I constantly heard rustling and saw the bright eyes of animals, but none dared to come near. Along the way, I noticed small things. A bright red shard of pottery. The steady ooze of tree sap. The swirling way a leaf falls. Things that comfort me. The path Is full of hanging branches, and I duck to avoid them. Apparently, I didn't have enough good sense to take a machete. The thought causes me to stifle a small laugh. Kayla Nae, with a machete? I guess the wilderness does change people. The meandering path wound its way back to the waterfall. When I could hear the comforting slap of water on the rocks, I broke into a run. The clear blue water rushes down the cliff, and causes a fine mist to settle over the rocks. I jumped right into the moonlit pool, and floated on my back. The cool water surrounded me, and I watched the stars above. Orion's Belt. The Little Dipper. I saw plenty of constellations that I remember as vague smears in the city. Maybe Tyrone was right. Humans destroy everything. Pollute the air, the ground, even the stars with their bright lights. Ironic, how much I really was changing. Kayla, the girl who would refuse to swim in a public lake or swimming pool, floating on top of a wild pond? The girl who wouldn't eat at McDonalds. Maybe it was for the better. Most of the time, I was picky, irritable, and selfish. But I guess that I could try to spend a little more time trying new things. One of the reasons I love traveling, is that I have a different perspective every vacation/business trip. In Tokyo, I learned to like sushi, and do calligraphy. When we went to Russia, I started being more conscientious about the cold and hungry homeless people, thanks to the biting cold and abundant fur coats. Change is something I'm used to. "I wish that I could freeze this moment forever." I whispered to myself, thinking aloud. Bright stars, the sound of a crashing waterfall, and the gentle wind drifting thought the sky all contributed to a perfect moment. I flipped my body around, going to do a few laps, when my necklace clasp becomes undone. The sparkling silver necklace- a precious gift for my 18th birthday from my father- falls to the bottom of the pool. Taking a deep breath, I dive to the bottom. My eyes begin to adjust to the dark water, and I see the bright shine of my jeweled necklace. The bottom of the pond is full of rocks and underwater plants. The necklace itself lies on a bed of pale and cracked rocks. It glints in the moonlight from above. When I swim towards it, I notice something else. The rocks seem oddly shaped, all vaguely similar. When I swim closer, I notice round holes in the rocks, and a large gap in each. I grab my necklace, but when I brush my hand up against a rock, I hold in a scream. The rocks aren't rocks at all. They're human skulls. Hundreds, all at the bottom of this very pond. *** I leap from the water, clutching the necklace in my fist. When I get out, I begin to sob. While the hot tears splashed on the dirt, I put on my necklace again, ignoring the sand that clung to it. Though I didn't have a clue why I was crying, I did. Letting the fear and pain and exhaustion and frustration be drawn out through the teardrops, to slash to the ground. My emotions melted into the earth with the tears, and I let the toxins in my body drain away. I knew the others would find me eventually. The florescent screen of my watch showed that it was 4 AM, longer than I expected. Had I really been gone for two hours? But the sky began to get lighter, not much, but a little. Some of the constellations had faded more, and a steady stream of bird chirping resounded through area, bouncing off of the stones. My stomach growled loudly, and I blushed, although nobody was there. I wished I knew which berries were poisonous, I thought to myself. But being a botany freak, I did know a couple plants. Some of the more common plants were palm trees. I knew that they would contain coconuts or some other fruit. Banana plants were also a common tropical fruit. I just needed to find some. And I began my trek in search for food. Not knowing what awaited in the dark jungle. Leah's POV I slept peacefully that night. I had no interruptions. (HINT HINT. ONLY ONE LEFT SLEEPING.) When I woke, Tyrone, was asleep, his eyelids fluttering violently. And Daniel, curled up next to me with his arms wrapped in mine. Nikki, however, was gone. The comfy spot she had made herself amongst the grass, had the indentation of her body, and yet, she was missing. My first thought is to panic. Where is she? Was she taken? Did she get lost? Is she dead? Maybe shes stuck in a ditch somewhere. Or trapped in quicksand. Or at the bottom of a mud it. After a while of these possibilities fade, and, sense replaces them. Okay, she probably she just went for a walk. Or, maybe is taking a swim. I can already feel the air heating up. And its only about 7am. I stand, and stretch my back, while hearing a few pops in there somewhere. At the first pop, Tyrone’s eyes blink open. Alert. “Leah.” He nods. “Morning.” He immediately notices that Nikki is gone. “Where’s the winger?” he says hiding something in his face. He has a straight, hard expression, that rarely wavers. But, its odd right now. He’s hiding a sense of mini panic. “I don’t know.” I say thoughtlessly. Worry creeps into his expression, more obvious then last time. Tyrone has such a cool, and hard manor. His worry, frightens me. “Ill look for her.” He says sternly. Standing he yawns, and picks up his machete. “You plan to use that?” I say cautiously. He just looks at me dead in the eye for a moment. Okay, now I know this is serious. He turns towards the dense jungle, and treks forward. “Stay here!” he yells back to me. I’m left with Daniel, with nothing to do but worry. I do everything, and anything to pass the time. Pace the floor. Trace shapes in the dirt. Do sit ups. Do push ups. Find food. (Which only ends up in me throwing a few berries because I don’t know if there poisonous.) Eventually Daniel wakes. “hey Bub. Where is everyone?” he says yawning, and looking around. “Gone for a walk.” You have to know how to play it with my brother. See, he’s an extreme worrier. So, if I were to tell him the whole truth, I’m almost completely sure he would flip out. But, If I were to lie to him, he would also completely flip out. So, I’ve learnt the art of, little information. “Okay. Did Tyrone say anything to you?” he says with worry. “Not really, just that he was going for a walk. Why?” I say, again. Little information. “No reason just Leah be…careful around him? Okay?” he says. What is it and everyone thinking I’m going to have to be careful. I mean, jezze. “God. I know okay.” I brushing away the heat. “I’m just looking out for you.” He says in a defensive tone. “ I know! And its annoying the crap out of me!” I exclaim. “HEY! Your lucky to have a brother like me!” he says. I stop my anger, he’s right. I am lucky to have him. I walk over to him, and hug his waist. “I know. Thank you. I just feel like sometimes, you wont let me make my own mistakes. I’m not a little kid anymore. I can deal with big people problems.” I say softly. “I just care about you. I don’t want to see you hurt.” He says hugging me back. “Your far to precious to let go.” I smile, and pull back. “Guys.” Tyrone says from behind me. I jump in surprise, and put my hand over my heart when I see him. “I think you should come take a look at this.” Tyrone's POV We walk to were I found Kayla, where she is sitting on a rock. Just....sitting there not saying anything. "Oh no, KAYLA!" Leah yells running to her aid. "What the hells wrong with her? She mentally stupid or something?" I say swinging my machete around. "Shes in a trance, this is not good Daniel, go back to camp and get my bag!" Leah yells. As Daniel turns around I stop him. "No, I'll go you stay here, I need to radio for the helicopter anyways," I say. Daniel nods and i sprint back. It takes around 2 minutes to get back, I grab Leahs backpack and grab the radio. "This is AK47908 calling in from Foxtrot, you copy dude?" I say walking back. Static. "You there? We need immediate evac, we need to get these people out now, you copy?" I say still walking, getting more and more worried with the sound of static. "DO YOU COPY? OVER" Still nothing. I decide to hold the bad news as I get closer and closer to Kaylas position. I get back to were Kayla is and hands Leah her backpack, she quickly and swiftly unzips her pack, and takes out a syringe. "What the heck?" I say as she injects the...whatever is in that syringe into Kayla's arm. Her eyes flutter, and Leah and Daniel let out a sigh of relief. "It's adrenaline. Come on, you were in the army weren't you? Use your head. This is basic first aid." Leah snaps. "Well I got good news...and I got some bad news..whatcha wanna here first?" I say. "Just give us the bad news, Tyrone." Daniel says. "Well, the bad news is, I can't get a hold of the chopper...the good news is we still have our little camp, and the radio." I say with a blank expression. Kayla looks up. "WHAT!?!" Kayla'a POV "I remember sitting down on a rock, my stomach growling." I explain to the three others. Leah had an anxious look, and kept glancing at her backpack. Daniel was gripping the rock, and his face was a mixture of something like anger, anxiety, and constipation. Tyrone was leaning casually on a tree, his black shades covering any emotion. "I was really hungry, and I kept glancing at the trees. There was a bright shaft of moonlight reflecting off of the pool, and it caught my eye. It was pure white, and it landed on this rock." I pointed to the rock which I had been found by. "Staring at it, I began to feel sleepy again, and I got lost in the light. Then...the nightmares began." I stopped abruptly, and held back tears in my eyes, remembering those horrid moments. "What nightmares?" Tyrone asks sharply. He tenses up, but then goes back to normal. I shake my head, and the tears threaten to reappear. "Tyrone...she's been through a lot. Don't ask." I hear Leah whisper softly. I always loved Leah's voice. It was soft, gentle, and the thing I always wanted to hear when I went into a Trance. The sniper grunted, and started polishing his machete. The news that the chopper wasn't coming was worrying, but honestly, it was the last thing on my mind at the moment. Unfortunately, it wasn't the same for the others. When I had finished my story, Leah started pacing around. Danny kept fiddling with the radio, which Tyrone had given up on. Tyrone had jumped into the pool, and was taking huge, angry strokes in the water. More or less, everybody was frustrated. For some reason, I felt like I was forgetting something... I sat on the same rock I was found on, and sipped a cup of herbal tea I had made for myself. Another thing I loved: hot tea. Botanist qualities coming in ONCE AGAIN. The sweet and tangy taste of hibiscus lingered on my lips after I drained the cup of its warm contents. The beverage had warmed me to the bone, but I knew I would regret it later. Already, at 7:30 AM, it was getting hot, and i could see the sweat gathering on my friends' brows. Me? Trances always chilled me, leaving me huddled up in a ball sometimes. Usually, I would go into a Trance while in bed. It happens when I dwell on things too deeply, and when sleeping, I have plenty of time to dwell. "Granola bar?" Leah walks over and offers me a honey and oats granola bar, which I accept graciously. "Thanks." "You feeling okay?" A look of concern sticks on her face, and I give her a weak smile of reassurance. Leah is basically my sister, and she knows me well enough that she can tell when I'm feeling better. "Yeah. Except, now I'm craving-" "Chocolate?" Leah interrupts, raising an eyebrow. I laugh- the one good thing about Trances is that I have an excuse to eat chocolate afterwards. Leah throws me a deformed Hersey's kiss from her backpack. It's mashed up, but it's still delicious when I stick it in my mouth. "Mmm." I smack my lips in a satisfied fashion, and watch as Leah helps herself to one too. "Hey, don't go jacking my chocolate!" Leah laughs, and sticks out a chocolate plastered tongue. We both crack up, and for the first time in a while, there's lightness on this island. But then I remember that we're stuck here for the time being, and my face suddenly becomes solemn. "Do you think...they'll find us?" I ask quietly. It's the question we've all asked ourselves, but I'm the only one who's voiced it. Leah chews on her chocolate steadily, and looks thoughtfully. "We're two world famous reporters. Our corporation knew where we were going, and they'll find us easy. Plus, it's probably just a tiny glitch." My best friend gives me a reassuring smile, and I squeeze her hand. "Thanks Leah, you always know what to say." We hug, then break away. "Wanna go take pictures?" I say teasingly, as its an obvious question. "Hmmmm YES." She laughs, and we race back to the camp. The two of us race through the vegetation, throwing our heads back with laughter. Leah and I jostle each other, each vying for the first step into the camp. When we walk back, Leah grabs her camera from in her sleeping back. I grin and roll my eyes- she sleeps with her camera. Of course, photography is her life. I've heard her say a million times why. "It's the most amazing thing. It's like, having a frozen snapshot of your life. The ability to capture a fraction of the beauty on Earth. A clipping of something that you'll always remember." She says, voicing my thoughts. She snap a fish-eye or something, and we start to explore together. She takes pictures of everything. Leah and I are very different, but we both look at small details. Things that most people wouldn't get, we find. "Look at that ant trail!" I would call to her. "Did you see this tree hole?" She might ask. She probably could have exhausted a whole SD just taking pictures of one tree. But the way the sun shines through the leaves, the way the smallest animals crawl through the branches, the way the bark curves and turns.... "Hey, this bark pattern looks like a skull and bones!" Laughs Leah. I grin, and examine the disfiguration. But than I realize a couple things. One. It wasn't a natural shape. Two. It was carved by a knife. And three. The detail I forgot in my story? The sea of skulls at the bottom of the lake. Daniel's POV I fiddle with the radio and slosh through the water. "I can't believe this. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" I shout at Tyrone, who is calmly leaning against the tree. "Give up with the radio, I couldn't reach the helicopter, and I was trained in using it." he growls. "Well you were also trained to be a sniper, and we see how well that turned out." I mutter. Tyrone stands to his full height and yells, "What did you say?!" "You heard me. I don't trust you Tyrone. I don't trust you to guide us, or lead us, or protect us." I say. "And I ESPECIALLY don't trust you with my sister," I add. Tyrone walks into the pool and bears down on me. "I am a highly trained military soldier, without me, you people would be like lost puppies on this island. You ''need ''me." He spits. I push him away and he stumbles back into the water with a splash. I laugh, but he picks up a rock and chucks it at me. I dodge and turn his arm upside down, straining the nerves. Tyrone grunts in pain. He slaps me in the back and I throw him off back into the pool. He picks up another oddly shaped and colored rock and launches at me. I try to back away but he slams me to the ground. Fire burns in Tyrone's eyes. The fire of hate, of betrayal. Of murder. He brings the rock up to slam it on my head, but I notice one thing. The shape of the rock. The holes in the front of it. Tyrone sees me staring and looks too. We both piece the puzzle together at the same time. Tyrone is holding a human Skull. We scream. Leah's POV Despite the stressful situation. Im sort of…Relaxed, I mean, I’m here with my brother. And by best friend. What could be better? I mean, sure. There’s the sense of impending doom that we wont be found, the many animals can eat us. And a whole rage of tropical illnesses I’m sure that lie around but….Hey, you just got to let your hair down sometimes. Speaking of hair, I would kill for a hair tie. Everything is heating up. Including tension between Tyrone and Danny. Tyrone isn’t the anger type. He likes to remain silent, which is his weapon. Its painful, when you cant read his expression. Your mad, but you don’t even know if he is. Danny is much more confrontational. He likes to get the issues out in the open. He’s the first one to spit out his views, or emotions. So, as you can tell, they don’t get along well. I’m sure when I get back to camp, there at each others throats. Boy was I wrong. Danny was sitting with horrid look on his face, while looking at the water. Tyrone, was no where. “Um, Danny where’d he go?” I say. Danny just shakes his head, I turn to Kayla for her reaction. She has a look of sympathy on her face, as she rushes over to Danny. He’s obviously upset. And, I’m glad shes comforting him. A few seconds later, Tyrone emerges from the water. I feel a sense of relief. He carrying a sack that he brought with him, over his shoulder. Previously, it was empty, but it now full. Of…something. I know I should be concentrating on the obviously distressing situation at hand. Whatever that situation may be. But my eyes are glued to Tyrone’s impeccable body. Impeccable. His hair is ruffled, and his tee shirt off. His chest is tanned, and perfect rips with a 8 pack. His biceps flex holding the heavy bag. “Oh my.” I whisper. “Hey Leah.” Danny says with a ridiculing eye. I feel my cheeks burn with a flash red. And Kayla snorts laughter. She’s sitting next to Danny on a log, with her hands comfortingly resting on his shoulders. There kind of…Cute. Anyways, moving on. Tyrone nods to me, I guess... acknowledging I’m here. He has a sorrowful look on his face. He slumps the bag on a rock, and sits with his head resting in his palms. I guess, I’m meant to look in there. Danny’s turned away from the bag, and Kayla, also has a pale face. She knows what’s in that bag, so does Danny. What, am I meant to look in there? I walk hesitantly to the bag, everyone is staring at the floor. I feel my heart pounding. There’s something in that bag, that’s got everyone on edge. I carefully pick up the fabric, and peek inside. I scream, a terribly high pitched noise. And run from the bag with my hands in my face. My legs are jumping, and my entire body shakes. I feel as if there are creepy bugs crawling all over my skin. With-in a second, both Tyrone and Daniel are next to me, with there there hands stabilizing me. Can feel Tyrone’s long fingers holding may hip, to keep me stable. “Leah, look at me. Are you okay?” Daniel says with his “Big brother” eyes on. “Yeah.” I say breathlessly. There’s a silence between us all, when Danny notices the positioning of Tyrone’s hands. One on my hip, the other on the small of my back. Daniels hands whip Tyrone’s out of there place and Tyrone lazily walks away and sits back on his rock. Danny turns back to me, blocking my view of Tyrone’s with his body…Truth is. I wish he wasn’t. “There’s about fifty more down there.” Tyrone says carelessly. ‘Ya. We know Sherlock.” Danny says, with a condescending tone. Obviously he’s trying to get some sort of reaction from Tyrone. But he simply nods, and goes back to his knife cleaning. I try to hold back a smile. God they hate each other. “Alright, where are they from?” Kayla says. “Do you even know what’s there?” Tyrone says. “I saw them. Last night.” Tyrone’s careless attitude fades. And he stands tall. “And you didn’t tell us?” He says, obviously knowing the answer. “No….i jus-” “you sho-” “Lay off Sniper Viper.” I say walking over to her. I know Kayla. Epically after one of her trances. She not exactly in her right mind after those horrible dreams. “Thanks Leah.” Kayla says softly. Danny’s laughing. And throne keeps his hard expression. “Moving on. How’d they get there.” I say obviously. The one time no one has anything to say. “Was there ever people on this island?” Danny says. Asking us all, but, obviously there is only one person who can reply. Wow, I’ve actually never seen him this unfriendly to someone. “Well. There were natives. The “tree huggers” put some stupid petition to keep them here. Let them have there freaky lifestyle.” He explains. “Hey. They have there rights.” I say puffing my chest out. “Oh. Your one of “those.” Tyrone rolls his eyes. I shoot him a snarl. He continues. “Anyways, Leahs “kind” won. We weren’t allowed to go near the island. Eventually, the nearby islands came again. It check there progress. To again see if they wanted to be educated. But. When they came, the tribe was no longer here. We just assumed they had died off.” He says. “Well, it wouldn’t have been that put them there then. I mean, they wouldn’t have all conveniently died in the waterfall.” Danny says. “Well, of course not. So, who put those skulls there then?” Kayla asks. “Well…The- You know whatever mind.” Tyrone says. “What?” Danny says irradiated. “Well, legend has it. The tribe that lived here, were cannibals.” He says eerily. Both Kala and I freeze. And Kayla begins to pant. “Now, why would you say that! You knew it would freak her out!” Daniel says approaching Tyrone. “Hey you asked.” He says with his hands high in the air stretching his body. I feel my hands shaking. “Stop messing with them.” Daniel voice raises his voice. And at the corner of his eye, he catches an eye of Kayla. And immediately rushes over to her. She’s hyperventilating, and shaking. “Hey I was just joking around.” Tyrone says. I walk up to him, and grab his perfectly formed bicep, and pull him off to the bushes. Leaving Daniel whispering something into Kayla’s ear to clam her down. He’s tone is soothing, and his body is comforting. The way he is with me. But…Not quiet. Different…somehow. “Its not your fault. She’s...touchy.” I explain cautiously. When we get far enough away. “Yeah, what is with her?” He says. “She’s had a difficult life. Its easy to step wrong with her, unless you know her like Daniel and I.” I say. “It seems a complicated story.” He says eventually leaning on a tree wiping the drops of sweat from his forehead. “So, is that story, about the tribe true?” I say auspiciously. “I doubt it. I mean, rumors are rumors. I don’t invest a lot into them.” He says. “Okay, are you sure there gone?” I say. He chuckles a bit. “I’m pretty sure. Don’t worry, ill keep you safe.” He says holing his machete high. With a side smirk. “I hope so. And ill keep you safe from Kayla. Who knows when she might explode.” I laugh. “Ha, I appreciate that. I mean sure, I can take down 8 men with one round. But. A girl is way past my pay grade.” He laughs. I burst out in laughter. “Hey! Sniper viper has a sense of humor!” I joke. “I’m full of surprises.” He says surpassing a smile. “I don’t doubt that.” I say a bit more seriously. “Alight, lets get back to “Mr. StayAwayFromMyLittleSisterBecauseImOverProtectiveAndALittleInsane.” He laughs. I burst into laughter. “Ha, yeah, he probably expects our tee-shirts to be ripped up by now.” I laugh even harder. Were both now in chuckles. You know when you laugh so hard, that no sound comes out, and you hold your stomach. You cant breath, and your stomach hurts. I never thought I would share that with Tyrone. His smile is painfully wide, creating crinkles on the side of his face. His eyes complete set alight his brown eyes when he smiles. We walk back, and just before we come into the sight of the others I whisper to Tyrone. “I suppose your going back to “Mr. serious” now huh.” I say. “That’s the same one you check out while I’m getting out of the water right?” He says with a half smile. He grins, and rises both eyes brows twice. Then his face returns to completely monotone. Even if It was for a few moments. I saw another side of Tyrone. One, I doubt a lot of people have seen. And, the fact that he was comfortable enough to share it with me, was even better. We emerged from the trees where Kayla is sipping from a flask, and Danny’s pacing the floor. “Thought you two would never get to back.” Danny says. “Yeah sorry, we got caught up.” I say. Trying out Tyrone trick. A completely serious face. Danny’s eyes widen and his face grows angry. I let my eyes show an amused light. From behind me I hear Tyrone chuckle. Tyrone's POV I chuckle as Leah gives Daniel that serious face that i always have. Daniel and Kayla look at me, i think this is the first time i laugh, hell i even think this is the first time they have seen me SMILE. It was pretty funny though. I'm starting to like this girl, which is pretty awkward considering I haven't let a girl get close to me since i was 18, and my father died. I sit on a log to think, hoping to figure out a plan, but i seem to get lost, and I just sit there emotion, and motionless until the sound of my name is brought up. "SO you and Tyrone kiss yet?" Kayla says. Leah's eyes widen. I chuckle. ME kiss a GIRL that's pretty much impossible in my standards since I've pushed almost every girl out of my life. Daniel walks up to me. "Why did you join the Marines?" He says. I don't hesitate to answer. "To fight with other bad-ass soldiers, and beat the shit outta terrorists, why else?" I say i let out a slight smile, then i go back to my normal emotionless self. He stares at me, i think hes thinking that I'm a sick murderer. He gets up and leaves and falls into the water, knowing that almost all the skulls are gone. I go back to thinking. I sit there, emotionless again. Time goes by in seconds, when i come back to reality there's a sunset, and Leah and Daniel and Kayla are making a fire. Daniel's POV The warmth of the fire fights back the chilling night air. Mister Nature Know it All rations out two granola bars, which we all chew in uncomfortable silence. For Kayla's sake, nobody mentions the bag of skulls, or the legend, or the fact that we might be stuck on this island for the rest of our very short lives. Kayla hugs her arms to her body and shakes back and forth, despite the warmth of the fire. Something seems different about her now. I used to think of her as a somewhat annoying, bossy, fussy little person. But now, all her composure is gone, and she just looks....broken. She gratefully takes the granola from Tyrone and nods in thanks. She nibbles on it, but makes no animated attempt to eat it. I reach over and grab her arm, which is fixed to her side, and raise my eyebrows as if to ask "You okay?" She shakes her head almost imperceptibly. I look at Leah worriedly. Leah clears her throat, "Hey uh, Danny, can we talk real quick?" "Erm, yeah sure." I say awkwardly, standing and walking off with her. We walk away and she turns to face me. "What's going on with You and Kayla?" She asks. "What?" I say, "Nothing, I'm just a bit worried about her. I've never seen her so...well, whatever she is." "Well, she does that a lot, she's had a tough life, I wouldn't question her about it." She explains, "But what I meant was, you two....?" she smiles, giving that stare that she always gives me when I meet a girl. I jump back with a surprised expression that must've been priceless, because Leah laughs. "For your information, No, I don't, and never have, liked Kayla." I say. A bit of unwanted abruptness in my voice. Leah just laughs harder at my face, which is getting red. "C'mon idiot," she says, composing herself, "Your girlfriends waiting." Kayla's POV The shivers that run through me are little sated by the warmth of the crackling fire. I watch the dancing flames intently, my eyes glazing over from the blazing light. My mind keeps trying to pull away from the nightmares, but Tyrone's grave speech keeps the horror fresh. "You okay?" Leah stands behind me, and wraps a soft blanket around my shoulders. I accept a warm mug of tea from her and give her a weak smile. "I'll live." Leah looks into the forest. Everyone in the camp is distant. Tyrone sits at the lake, staring into the depths while sharpening his machete. Daniel is in his sleeping bag, staring at the ground, imagining who knows what. The log I sit on is hard, but I'm grateful that I have something to sit on. Leah sits next to my on the dead wood, and we sit in silence, sipping the warm liquid. Tea has always been my comfort drink, and the warm tendrils of steam soothes the stiffness in my face. "Daniel says there's nothing going on between you two." Leah informs me, with the hint of suggestion that she thinks differently. "Well it's true." I reply stiffly, staring into the fire indifferently. "Mmmhmmm." Leah murmurs slyly. I give her a hard push, and she falls off the log. "That's for asking." I laugh. "Hey!" Leah throws a stick at me, which bounces harmlessly off me. "Aren't we feisty, disturbing nature to try to hurt a friend." I tease, recalling an incident when she chastised me about such a thing. "Ha ha very funny." Leah gives a half smile, and gets onto the log again. I look at both boys, who are both in a wake less stare, and neither of them have noticed the little occurrence. "Anyway, don't you think it's time to go to sleep?" I ask Leah, who has begun to draw in the dirt with the stick. "No." Leah replies. As expected. Leah has known to be a night owl. I watch her scribbles start to resemble the fire, each stroke capturing the flickering flames perfectly. When she's upset or unfocused, she draws the best freehand. "That's nice." I say quietly. Leah shrugs and slashes a mark through the drawing. "Whatever." "You know you're acting as hostile as Tyrone?" "Whatever." She starts tracing the outline of the shadows cast by the fire. "Are you okay?" I let the question sink in as she slashes angrily with the stick in the dirt. She doesn't respond at first, but the answer is obvious. Leah drives the stick into the ground, and it snaps in half. "No, I'm just...angry at the world." Her expression is hard. Despite my status being her best friend, I have no idea why she's so angry. "What's wrong?" I put my hand on her arm. "I..." She sighs, and gives me a softer look. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." "Leah, you're my best friend. I know it's not nothing. Is it Tyrone?" "No, it's nothing!" "I know it's not. Come on. Talk to me." "Kayla, can I just be alone?" "No, I'm not leaving you until you tell me what's wrong!" "Just..." Leah hesitates. "I really care about you." "I know that." "You don't act like it." "Please, just let me think for a while." "I'll wait." I watch her patiently, much to her displeasure. "I'm going for a walk." She scowls at the fire, and walks away. We've all had a lot on our minds, and I don't stop her as she storms away into the forest. A moment ago, Leah seemed in a fine mood, happy and teasing. But she gets...mood swings often. I know I should probably follow her. I'm probably the reason she's mad. Her shadow disappears, and I'm left alone by the fire, which has started dying. Daniel, I assume, has fallen asleep, and when I look at Tyrone, he's swimming in the lake. The camp is depressing, and the moon is full. So I decide to follow Leah. The night is cold, so I pull on a sweatshirt, and grab a small flashlight. My flip flops are traded in for sneakers, something I usually don't wear. But bare feet aren't good for me in this cold. I shiver as I walk into the dark forest, and the little warmth the fire gave me disappears immediately. Voices seem to materialize in the air, and the constant rustling of animals makes me jump at every turn. "...her." A voice whispers. I jump and turn around, but the voice came from seemingly nowhere. Unidentifiable noises encircle me, and I race ahead into the forest, my mind blank. Leah's path is evident- and it's evident she's been running. I follow the snapped twigs and pushed aside branches, and reach a different clearing. Leah sits in the middle of it on the wet grass, staring into a rocky cave. "Leah?" I ask cautiously. "Hi." She says, almost trance-like. Her eyes stare aimlessly into the dark cave, and I approach Leah slowly. "You okay?" "Yes." "Leah..." I turn around, my back to the cave, and face her. She's sitting cross legged on the ground, her bare arms covered in gooseflesh. But she makes no effort to warm herself. Her eyes stare blankly ahead, fixed upon an unknown point. "I'm Fine." She says, her eyes meeting mine. I almost scream in alarm. Her blue eyes are cold with anger, despite her carefree voice. "You don't seem fine. We're going back to the camp." I tell her firmly, and grab her arm. Her hand strikes my arm quickly. "Go back." Her voice is dry, as if she hadn't taken a drink in a while. "Leah?" I gasp, and stagger back. "Go back!" She rasps. Leah collapses onto the ground, and I rush to her. As if she was warning me. "Oh my gosh..." I feel her pulse on her neck. It's beating quickly. "Tyrone! Danny!" I scream at the top of my lungs. Leah lies on the grass, her eyes open and out of focus. She jerks around, as if fighting something. Someone. "GUYS!" I yell, and try to pick up my friend. "Help..." I feel a hand touch my shoulder. "Silence." I feel a cloth go over my mouth, and everything goes black Time to bring this back! Me and Daniel sit across from each other, the fire in between us. "So Tyrone, when did you join the army?" Daniel says trying to start a conversation. I look up at him, no flashback this time and i decide to tell him. "Let me get this straight" I snap. "I joined the Marines, there is a difference, we actually get the damned job done and we don't leave people behind/" I say. "But i joined because my dad died in an operation and I wanted to keep the cycle of our family in the Military going." I say, breaking a twig in half and putting it in the fire. I look down at the ground. "Ok, ok no need to get all pissy about it.." He says putting his hands up in defense. I look at him. "Listen I-" Hes cut off by an ear piercing scream that sends birds flying into the night sky. I look up in horror. "Wa- was that Kayla!?" He says getting up in haste. I grab a small revolver with a short barrel used for short ranged fighting. "We have to move now!" I say as I pick Dan up from his log and drag him along. I open the spinning magazine checking for all 6 bullets. All accounted for. "They were supposed to stay away, they said they wouldn't harm people anymore!" I yell closing the magazine. "Who-Who?" Daniel says already out of breath. For a body guard not only does he need to hold a weapon he needs to be in shape. "The Wakamanga! I'll explain later!" I yell, I grab Daniel's arm and pull him forward and send him in front of me. "Double time!" I yell. Fear and instincts take over and i head over to the cave ready to blow the heads off of anyone that isn't friendly. We get through the heavy brush and i whip out my machete giving it to Daniel and i also take out my flashlight to scan the ground. I find footprints and knee marks in the dirt. I look at Daniel in horror. "We have to get out of here. Now!" Category:Collaboration Category:Adventure